Self-releasing lock control



Sept. 22, 1953 M. SULTAN SELF-RELEASING LOCK CONTROL Filed Sept. 16. 1950 Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFECE SELF-RELEASING LOCK CONTROL Max Sultan, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 16, 1950, Serial No. 185,241

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to door latches.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door latch wherein the door can be locked from the inside of the room to render access to the room from one on the outside of the room impossible until the knob is turned from the inside of the room and wherein the turning of this knob automatically releases the locking element as when one is leaving the room.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a door latch with an inside look which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is compact, easy to operate and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a complete door handle assembly embodying the features of the 4 present invention.

Fig. 2 is a collective and erspective view of the parts of the door handle assembly mounted at one side of the door and including the press button lock parts.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section of the door handle assembly taken generally on. line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing only a part of the assembly with the press button pushed in and retained by the operating member to prevent the turning of the handle sh'aft from the outer side of the door.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken generally on line 55 of Fig. 3 with the parts being in position to permit the free turning of the handle on the outer side of the door.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View of the operating parts illustrating the manner in which the vertically adjustable operating member is moved downwardly to release the push button and to render the knob on the outside of the door free to be turned again.

Referring now to the figures, l0 represents a door in which is mounted the usual door latch assembly I! having a latch element [2 adapted to enter a slotted plate in the door frame and which, within the door, is adapted to receive a square operating shaft i3 of a door handle assembly indicated generally at M. The latch assembly is made secure within an opening in the door body by screws l5.

The door handle assembly M, in addition to the shaft, includes a door knob i6 disposed on the outer side of the door and a door knob H on the inner side of the door. The shaft i3 is set in an opening in the knob ii and passes into a square opening ii) of the knob it. This knob it carries on its inner end a closure plate H. The shaft it within the door ii) passes through a square opening of an operating member of the latch assembly l I so that as the shaft I3 is turned by either of the handles, the latch element i2 may be operated.

On the inner side of the door is a rosette or cover plate 25 having a flange that enters groove 26 of the door knob i'l. Screws 23 and 2d secure the rosette in position.

The set screw it secures the knob to a sleeve piece 2? that is threaded into the knob and which receives the round portion of the shaft H3. The rounded portion of the shaft i3 is indicated at it and is moveably secured to the flanged end of the sleeve piece 2i by a transverse pin 27a, and said pin is disposed opposite cam 28, in a loose fitting keyway located in the flange portion, thereby allowing the sleeve ill to rotate an amount equal to the play between the pin and the walls of the keyway. This play is sufficient to have the cam depress element 3% thereby permitting projection :32 of element 4! to rotate with the shaft a limited angle free from hitting element sfis abutments.

The sleeve piece it has a flanged disc having an integral projecting cam portion 2'8 with inclined opposite faces 28 and Bil adapted to act upon edges 3! and 32 of a vertical slide member 33. The vertical operating member has side projections 3i and 35 at the opposite sides thereof. The closure plate 25 has transversely spaced guide portions or ribs 35 and Bl for guiding the transverse movement of the operating member 33 and for retaining in the ends thereof respective springs 33 and 39. One end of each of the springs 38 or is reacts against the projection 36 of the operating member 33 and against a projection all of a guide portion 36 or 3? to urge the operating member 33 upwardly. The guide projection 40 serves as a stop against which projection 35 of the operating member 33 engages to limit the upward movement of the operating member. On the shaft is a square opening member it having a depending projection 32 adapted to pass through opening 43 in the lower end of the operating member 33. Normally, this projection 42 is free of the opening 43, as shown 3 in Fig. 5, whereby to permit the turning of the knobs.

A channeled retaining plate 44 fits over the operating member, the squared opening member 4| and the springs 38 and 39 and into the cover plate whereby to retain these parts in coupled relationship and proper positions. This retaining plate is held in place by two rivets 45 extending through the plates at the opposite sides thereof.

This retaining plate 44 carries a sleeve 46 in which a press pin 41 is operable. A spring 48 reacts between the outer end of the sleeve portion 46 and a flange 49 on the press pin 41 to normally urge the press pin outwardly through an opening 50 in the cover plate 25. This press pin has a bottom slot 5| for receiving the upper end of the operating member 33. The operating member 33, under the action of the springs 38 and will move upwardly into the slot 5| when the press pin is pushed inwardly whereby to cause the projection 42 of the squared opening member 4| to enter the opening 43 of the operating member 33, in the manner as shown in Fig. 6, and to thereby prevent the turning of the squared shaft l3 and the outside knob Hi. In order to release the press pin 31, the inside knob l4 must be turned so that the cam 23 on the sleeve piece 21 pushes downwardly the operating member 33, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5, so that the squared opening member 4| and its projection 42 is released from the opening 43 of the operating member 33.

In use, the door I0 is closed and from the inside of the room, the press pin :31 is pushed inwardly. The pressing of this pin permits the operating member 33 to rise and the shaft and outside knob to be locked against turning movement. It is now impossible to enter the room from the outside. Automatically, as the inside knob iii is turned, the press pin 41 will be released so that it will thereafter hold down the operating member 33 so that the squared member 4| on the shaft 13 will be released from the operating member 33 and both knobs again free to turn. When the knob assembly is locked, the outside knob cannot be turned until the assembly has been released by the turning of the inside knob.

It will be apparent that there has been provided a simple arrangement for locking and un- 6 locking doors on their inner sides thereof.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended F having a circular flange head and a threaded tubular portion secured to said flange head, said flange head having a slot depending from the orifice of said sleeve piece and a cam disposed above said slot and secured to that flange face which is opposed to the threaded portion of said sleeve piece, said cam being a segment of an annulus having radial edges converging to the center of said sleeve piece, a closure plate having an orifice therein adapted to receive the threaded portion of the said sleeve piece, and having parallel spaced-apart ribs therein, said guide ribs having oppositely and inwardly disposed guide portions, a vertical slide member adapted to slide between the ribs of the closure plate, said slide member consisting of a pair of vertical parallel walls and a pair of horizontal parallel walls, said horizontal parallel walls extending beyond said vertical walls, the lower horizontal wall having a slot therein disposed centrally thereof, said slide member further having a back plate secured to the lower half of said slide member and having a pair of spaced-apart legs having inverted V-shaped apices, the space between the said legs being of a U-shape, the slide member being disposed within the ribs of the closure plate so that the lower horizontal wall is disposed beneath the guide portions of said closure plate, said guide portions being abutments to limit the upward travel of the slide member, means dis-- posed between the spaced-apart ribs and the slide member for urging said slide member in an upward direction, a square member having a square opening and provided with a depending leg disposed over a portion of the square shaft, said depending leg being adapted to move into and out of the slot in the lower horizontal wall of said slide member, a channelled retaining plate having a press-pin therein adapted to retain the slide member in place, said press-pin having a depending slot therein adapted to engage the top vertical wall of said slide member, said press-pin being normally outwardly urged by means of a spring associated therewith.

2. The latch assembly of claim 1 wherein the means for urging the slide member normally downward consists of a pair of spaced-apart springs disposed between the guide portions and the bottom of the extended portions of the top slide member wall, said springs being confined laterally between a vertical wall of the slide member and a rib "of the closure plate. MAX SULTAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,400,403 Falk May 14, 1946 2,505,188 Kaiser Apr. 15, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 547,793 Great Britain Sept. 11, 1942 

